Photo by Howard Owens
For anyone who has visited St. James Episcopal Church during its Lenten fish fries, you probably looked forward to those Friday evenings for dinner, some mingling with friends, and perhaps buying a fresh-baked dessert or two.
The volunteers who made it happen week after week — for 28 years — made the difficult decision to end the fish fries this year, and with mixed emotions, they also promised to put something in place at least one week during this time.
“It’s getting harder and harder to get volunteers to commit, plus to get people to bake every week for the desserts,” church member and volunteer Barb Pierce said. “We didn’t say we’re never going to do them again. I think people will miss them.”
As promised, she and the other volunteers have come up with a replacement event. Mark your calendars, because the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper is coming. It begins at 5 p.m. Feb. 13 at the church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia, and runs until sold out. There will be a freewill offering taken at the door in lieu of a set fee for a soul-soothing meal of pancakes and sausage, real maple syrup, apple crisp, coffee, tea, and milk. There will also be a Valentine's Day-themed bake sale with goodies available for purchase, she said, including candies, fudge, brownies, and cookies.
The freewill offering and dessert sale is a fundraiser that will go toward one or more of St. James’ usual outreach efforts, including the blessing box, Crossroads House, Genesee Cancer Assistance, Genesee CASA for Children, Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, GO Art!, and Habitat for Humanity, she said.
Each of those fish fries involved 10 volunteer kitchen helpers, plus many others to help out in the dining room, for a total of some 30 people on hand for each weekly event throughout Lent, Pierce said. They’re estimating a need for at least five in the kitchen, plus more for serving and other duties, during the pancake supper, but it's a little easier to plan for a one-time dinner than ongoing weekly fish fries, she said.
This will be a sit-down meal, with real plates and silverware and dinner service, plus the extra desserts for purchase.
What is Shrove Tuesday, and why pancakes? According to historic-uk.com, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent -- the 40 days leading up to Easter -- was traditionally a time of fasting, and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung today.
Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. (Editor’s Note: a quick check for this year, Leap Year and all, proves this to be true, as 47 days from Feb. 13 falls right on Easter Sunday, March 31.)
Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast, and pancakes were considered the perfect way to use up these ingredients, hence — Shrove Tuesday was born.
“It’s kind of like a Mardi Gras, but on a smaller scale,” Pierce said, with a focus on assorted foods and treats as a one-time event.
No need to reserve your spot for the supper, she said, however, you might want to plan to come sooner than later once the 5 p.m. hour strikes, as supper is over once the pancakes are gone.
For Ash Wednesday, on Feb. 14, there will be “ashes to go” in the east parking lot from 8 to 9 a.m., and liturgy and holy communion will be at 5 p.m. at the church.
